Computertomographische Diagnostik der akuten linksseitigen Kolondivertikulitis und ihre Differenzialdiagnostik

Acute colonic disease: How to image in emergency

The diseases affecting the large intestine represent a diagnostic problem in adult patients with acute abdomen, especially when clinical symptoms are not specific. The role of the diagnostic imaging is to help clinicians and surgeons in differential diagnosis for an efficient early and prompt therapy to perform. This review article summarizes the imaging spectrum of findings of colonic acute disease, from mechanical obstruction to inflammatory diseases and perforation, offering keys to problem solving in doubtful cases as well as discussing regarding the more indicated imaging method to use in emergency, particularly MDCT.

Diagnostik entzündlicher und tumoröser Erkrankungen des Kolons

The detection of inflammatory and tumorous conditions of the colon is one of the main topics in current abdominal radiology. The barium enema was introduced first in 1923 by Fischer, and has represented the workhorse of intestinal diagnostics for decades. The widespread use of endoscopy and the ongoing technical improvements in CT and MRI, however, have led to an inevitable displacement of this technique. Nevertheless, radiographs and enema are frequently employed in the initial work-up of patients with suspected colonic disease. This article provides an overview of the most important entities of inflammatory and tumorous changes of the colon.